Compost Facility

Resort Municipality of Whistler
Compost Facility
Whistler, BC

As part of their “Whistler 2020 – Moving toward a Sustainable Future” initiative, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) launched the Composting Facility Project. The main goal was to reduce the amount of solid waste going to landfills by maximizing solid waste recycling. The facility takes organic food and wood waste from the local community plus bio-solids from Whistler’s sewage treatment plant and processes them into marketable, nutrient-rich Class A compost or bio-fuel.

CWA was retained as the prime consultant to provide engineering design and project management services for the composting facility project. The objective was to develop innovative solutions that would minimize environmental impact to the surrounding area, protecting the wildlife and wetlands, while streamlining all elements of the composting process to save costs and minimize RMOW’s carbon footprint.

CWA’s design team drew on their expertise in the bulk material handling, mining, and wood products industries to set a new standard for efficiency and sustainability in the emerging area of municipal composting. The layout of the process equipment on the site was chosen to best make use of the existing site topography. The way the ingredients were fed to the composting vessel was optimized to reduce noise, odor emissions, and the burning of fossil fuels, and to maximize the cleanliness of the facility and the surrounding area.

The project delivery allowed for an accelerated construction schedule in the spring and summer months such that that no construction occurred during the winter season and the project was completed on time and under budget.